IVECO Group and its sustainability partner Gruber Logistics have dubbed IVECO’s liquid natural gas-powered S-WAY LNG truck the first alternative fuel-powered heavy goods vehicle for the transport of abnormal loads of up to 50 tonnes (55 U.S. tons). Abnormal loads are defined as overweight, oversize, or otherwise requiring a permit per the Highway Code, such as for safety reasons.
The S-WAY LNG can run on renewable biomethane, which can be produced locally from agricultural and urban waste. IVECO says that from a life-cycle perspective, biomethane has the lowest carbon footprint of currently available fuels.
"Together with Gruber Logistics, our IVECO S-WAY LNG are on the road leading to the decarbonisation of the world of transport–now including even abnormal load transport, an important milestone for the sector,” says IVECO Italy Market Alternative Propulsions Manager, Fabrizio Buffa. “The use of natural gas, particularly in its bio version, is essential in achieving immediate, efficient results; as evidenced by a recent study by the Italian National Research Council (CNR), a heavy goods vehicle powered by Bio-LNG can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 121% compared to a diesel equivalent."
Adapting The Route To The Fuel
For standard loads of up to 24 t (26.5 U.S. t), HGVs powered by liquid methane can provide a similar level of performance to diesel-burning trucks, according to IVECO. However, a difference in engine power becomes more apparent with overweight loads and difficult slopes.
Gruber Logistics addressed this problem with logistical condition changes. The firm is currently using liquid methane-powered vehicles to haul 30- to 50-t (33- to 55-U.S. t) loads between Kreuztal, North Rhine-Westphalia, and the UK.
"We often see just the problems instead of the solutions,” says Gruber Logistics XTL division head Michael Gruber. “It will be possible for LNG, and later BioLNG, to be widely used in the abnormal load sector, but in order to make this happen, we must change our working methods, change routes, change how we drive, etc. These and other issues must be tackled in order to successfully implement ECO innovations on a large scale, even in areas we could never before have imagined it were possible."
The IVECO S-WAY LNG
IVECO says that its S-WAY is the first natural gas-fuelled truck on the market specifically designed for international long-haul transport. Its 4x2 LNG tractor has a fuel range of up to 1,600 kilometres (about 1,000 miles). The S-WAY also comes in a compressed natural gas (CNG) edition, as well as in both tractor and rigid forms. The S-WAY has two sleeper cab options plus a short cab with a low roof.
IVECO developed new auxiliaries for the S-WAY Natural Gas, including a clutch compressor and variable-flow “smart” steering pump. These auxiliaries help reduce CO2 emissions, as do a new rear axle, an “eco mode” for the engine, a cover for the A-pillar, and other features.
In Silent Mode, the S-WAY Natural Gas emits just 71dB(A) of noise. The quiet engines available in the S-WAY LNG include 8.7-litre Cursor 9 units with 270, 340, or 400 horsepower (201, 254, or 298 kilowatts) or a 12.9-litre Cursor 13 engine with 460 HP (343 kW). The motors’ maintenance-free exhaust aftertreatment systems are much simpler and smaller than a diesel engine’s, requiring no fluid, particulate filtering, or catalyst regeneration.
The technologically advanced S-WAY replaced the STRALIS series in 2019. S-WAYs handle the 18-t (19.8-U.S.-t) and heavier over-the-road weight classes for IVECO.
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Source: IVECO